Nikkei: COVID-19 changes online sales in Japan

While many businesses have been impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, some are finding themselves more responsive to customer needs online than in-store.

Many luxury car dealers have started selling cars online. Jaguar Land Rover Japan, a dealer of British luxury car brand Jaguar, started online sales three years ago. Its efforts are starting to bear fruit. The company sold only one Jaguar car last year, but sold three Land Rover cars in May this year. The transaction was completed through the video conferencing platform Zoom, as it offers a variety of models that meet customer needs.

Lifestyle Acent operates Factelier, an online platform for clothing and accessories brands, as well as physical stores. But with customer numbers falling, the company has struggled to convey the appeal of its products. To address this, Lifestyle Acent launched a free 30-minute online concierge service through the Line Messaging app and Zoom in mid-March. Customers are more comfortable consulting over the internet than meeting face-to-face. While only about 30% of customers shop at street clothing stores, about 90% shop through online concierge services. Lifestyle Acent is trying to convey the quality of its products by conducting online factory tours.

The same is true for bedding, where customers prefer to double-check comfort. Luxury mattress maker Airweave began offering a remote concierge service in May. The company assesses customers' body shapes based on photos they send from their smartphones standing front and side. Customers can then chat with a consultant online to choose a mattress and other bedding that fits their body shape.
199IT.com Originally compiled from: Nikkei. Please do not reprint without authorization